


Breathing

by compos_dementis



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-03
Updated: 2010-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-07 00:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/compos_dementis/pseuds/compos_dementis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Italy notices the strangest things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathing

“You snore sometimes.”

 

Of all the topics to be brought up in the middle of breakfast, Germany had not been expecting that one. Italy could tell from the way he looked at him, that ‘so what’ expression on his face that both begged him to shut up and yet asked him to continue, if only out of curiosity to the relevance of it.

 

This was his favorite part about their meals together. Just sitting together, the two of them, and talking about things that didn’t have to do with anything in particular. Italy had to make sure he spoke first, of course, because if he let Germany take the reins of the conversation, it would likely head right back into war and violence, and the general things Italy didn’t like to think about.

 

So today it was a nice talk about Germany’s habit of snoring.

 

“…I snore?” Germany’s expression was one of mild annoyance, but mostly one of confusion. “Well… why, does it bother you? If it bothers you, you don’t have to come crawl in bed with me every night.”

 

“Hmm?” Italy sat up straighter. “Um, no! No, it doesn’t bother me. It was just something I noticed.” He swung his feet a little – German chairs were so high, weren’t they? Probably because Germans were so tall – and looked back at the other.

 

Germany took a bite of his breakfast sausage. “So why bring it up now?”

 

Italy thought about it for a moment. Really, it was because he had no filtering system, and he knew it. He sort of just spewed whatever came to mind. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I think it’s because I was thinking about how shallowly you’re breathing right now, and it makes me nervous because you don’t normally breathe that shallowly. Normally, your breathing is a lot more evened out and relaxed, oh, except when you have to chase me when I’m running away from England – and then I started thinking about the way you would breathe if you were scared too, but you don’t get scared, right, Germany? And how you’d breathe if you were sad, or angry, or asleep, and then I remembered that you snore.”

 

He smiled as he finished the train of thought, and Germany blinked at him as if trying to keep up – as smart as Germany was, Italy knew it was difficult to keep track of his conversation.

 

“Why are you keeping track of the way I breathe?” he asked.

 

Italy blinked. “Ah—I don’t… I just notice things.” He almost felt his face heat up a little but managed to keep it down. “Besides, I like the sound of your breathing. It’s comforting. Like Austria’s metronome.”

 

Germany paused for a long moment, and watched him, fork halfway to his mouth. “…I… like the sound of your breathing too. Italy.” His face had gone pink and Italy’s heart was racing and they were looking at each other before Germany looked down to his plate and cleared his throat. “Just… eat your breakfast.”

 

Smiling, Italy tucked into his own meal, and didn’t complain once about the sausage or squishy potatoes. Instead, he kept quiet for the rest of the meal and listened to the quickened pace of Germany’s embarrassed breathing.


End file.
